3oo BRITISH FOREST TREES 



leaved lime forms good forests in the plains skirting the 

 southern coast of the Baltic. The large-leaved species, on 

 the other hand, is more a tree of the uplands and the hills 

 than of the plains and the valleys, and belongs rather to 

 central and southern than to northern Germany. In Germany 

 the limes were formerly much more frequently grown in 

 clumps and patches among beech forests than is now the 

 case, but its poor quality as fuel, and the want of any great 

 demand for its timber for technical purposes, led to it being 

 cut out as much as possible when it interfered with the 

 development of the better fuel-producing beech, or of 

 other more remunerative species of forest trees. The limes 

 are in reality of far greater importance from an arboricultural 

 than a sylvicultural point of view in Britain, and nowhere 

 find a more suitable situation than in the formation of 

 avenues, of which there are many noble specimens through- 

 out the country. 



Tree-form and Root-system. Both limes have a consider- 

 able power of adapting themselves to circumstances in 

 regard to growth of stem and formation of crown. When 

 limited in growing space, they develop a long, straight, 

 cylindrical and full-wooded, clean bole surmounted by sturdy 

 branches bearing a semi-circular and moderate crown of 

 foliage ; with freer space for development their bole is short, 

 and soon ramifies into numerous strong branches forming a 

 broad and thickly-foliaged crown. Their growth in height 

 is energetic, but when entering the tree-forest stage after 

 completing their growth as poles, they make considerable 

 demands on growing-space, and rapidly broaden in crown. 



The large-leaved lime is quicker in growth, and more 

 beautiful in foliage, than the small-leaved species, hence more 

 favoured for arboricultural purposes in parks, avenues, &c. 



In general form and development the lime resembles the 

 beech and the chestnut more than other forest trees. 



